


Charmed, I'm Sure

by overworkedunderwhelmed



Series: Drabbles Gone Rogue [19]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood and Injury, Different than your Average Akuma, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Humor, LadyNoir July 2018, Ladynoir July, Ladynoire, Minor Injuries, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-05-30 06:06:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15090617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/overworkedunderwhelmed/pseuds/overworkedunderwhelmed
Summary: Ladybug justknowsthere's an Akuma out there. Her instincts and experience insist upon it. But without any obvious signs, is it just paranoia on her part or has Hawkmoth truly stepped up his game?After a very charming incident with Chat Noir, both heroes are left to wonder what this all might mean for their Akuma-fighting future as heroes.With the truth right in front of their faces and an Akuma on the loose, suddenlyeverythingis very awkward.





	1. Patrol/First Impressions

**Author's Note:**

> Trying my best to incorporate prompts from both Calendars here. Based upon my currently plans, I think I'll cover like 90% of the prompts.
> 
> Beta read by Enberlight (with plenty of title and summary help, too)! Thank you! <3

It should have seemed like any other patrol night. The low whistle of her yo-yo cut through the air, above streets that were mostly quiet, except for the slow, sleepy ambling of the locals heading home from a late supper in town. 

For all appearances, everything was normal, which is why it was a surprise when Ladybug began to feel unnerved.

But a certain _je ne sais quoi_ prickled at the back of Ladybug’s neck.

Something felt...off.

It certainly wasn’t her partner.

Chat Noir chattered happily as he’d dogged her heels along the rooftop run. Something good must have happened to him today.

His good mood was infectious, and he didn’t seem inclined to settle down any time soon even as they talked through new possible plans of defense. “Really, my Lady, you should let me get us a pair of pay as you go phones. It would be so much easier to work things out to be ready on the fly.” 

“Sure, _Chaton_.” Ladybug shook her head fondly, peering back over her shoulder as she steadied her gait over the peak of the roof. “And I suppose you wouldn’t just accidently use it to test out new puns?”

He scoffed, the gleaming grin on his face betrayed the feigned affort. “Puns are a very valuable battle strategy, my Lady.”

Ladybug snorted. Were it not for the fact that she got to go to the movies with _Adrien_! -- and Alya and Nino of course -- earlier today, she might even be likely to roll her eyes a bit more at the threat of puns dripping from his lips.

* * *

They were two sparring bouts deep into a training session atop the Trocadero, when Ladybug squared her shoulders and settled her weight over her front foot to prepare for a third attack

Her yo-yo was up to speed, as Chat Noir readied his baton. 

Her eyes narrowed. It looked like he was about to break right, favoring the one side heavily.

Instead, he extended his baton, getting it intentionally tangled in her yo-yo string and tugging it free of her hands with the aid of the reverb.

Clenching her jaw, Ladybug tossed a punch. Hand to hand wasn’t her specialty, but she knew she needed to take full advantage of the element of surprise to get one over on him.

Chat Noir had just managed to drop his baton and turn to face her head on when her first punch landed against his cupped palm. He danced about, forever fast on his feet.

She’d watched him move often enough to know he could sneak close, so she held herself removed until he beat her to the -- literal -- punch.

Ladybug barely stifled a groan at the thought. She clearly had been spending a little too much time of late with her partner. His bad habits were starting to rub off on her.

He swung his fists wildly, intentionally swinging wide.

Her eyes narrowed, as she swooped in, knocking him back to the ground with what little momentum she could.

Her eyes rolled up towards the setting sun. There was no doubt in her mind now. He kept conveniently timing his feints so that she kept knocking him to the ground.

Admittedly it had taken until the third go -- and one very unrepentant eyebrow waggle from her ridiculous partner -- for her to be sure that she’d caught wise to his ploy.

“Ugh!” Ladybug sighed, pressing his shoulder back to the ground as she stood back up. “Kitty, you’ve got to stop pulling your punches!” 

It was almost as if Chat Noir considered these patrols like some sort of play date, instead of the serious superhero business it ought to be.

Ladybug frowned, looking out over the city, still searching for...something. She knew that Alya would be stuck babysitting her sisters tonight, so there would be no furtive Ladyblog photoshoots in progress. There weren’t even any rogue vigilantes about since The Owl had settled into his far more tame routine. 

Even Hawkmoth had been quiet for the last few days.

If there was an Akuma, there was almost always an air of panic. But there wasn’t even the slightest hint of anyone running away from an Akuma in the dusk, or the hew and cry of a crime in progress.

Instead...there was this only uncanny silence.

It was unsettling, to say that least. But if Chat Noir noticed, he hadn’t said a thing.

* * *

They were nearly back to their usual patrol meet up point, when Chat Noir had decided to play again.

“Tag,” He smirked, tapping her on the shoulder with a gloved hand, before he’d vaulted off on his baton.

Ladybug snorted and gave chase, weaving between the buildings on her yo-yo. 

Chat _definitely_ thought this was a play date.

But at least it had been quiet for nearly the last hour. She’d extended the patrol a little bit because she wanted to reassure herself that all was well before she dared to sleep for the night.

He was leading her on a merry chase, spinning in circles around the loop of houses that encircled the park beside her house. 

On what must have been the fourth loop, Ladybug had heard the oddest crackling noise just after she went careening past.

“Chat!” she shouted, swinging herself up onto the rooftop and crouching down beside the gutter, scanning the houses below.

He spun on a dime, dropping down beside her in no time at all.

She frowned, pointing down to the balcony almost directly below them.

“Am I crazy or did that statue used to be another potted plant there?”


	2. Gift/Akuma

Blearily, his eyes opened at first light, just barely making out the number on his digital clock, and tugging the cover back over his head with a groan.

He’d barely gotten a few good hours of sleep and now his body was insistent it was time to wake up.

Adrien groaned, carding his fingernails through his sleep-mussed hair. He never would have expected that one little flower pot turned stone could create such chaos.

But, of course, his Lady had been right. He too had heard the low-pitched fizzle and snap, the more quiet indications of Akumatized power.

Akuma usually had all the subtlety of a truck careening down the slim city streets.

The stone pot appearance hadn’t been followed by screams of terror and running in the opposite direction. It had just shown up all of a sudden, with no apparent provocation, no miraculous-demanding follow through.

Adrien clenched his jaw. It wasn’t often that Hawkmoth seemed to change tactics.

But with as tired as he was, it seemed like this more subtle route was far more effective. He was physically exhausted and hardly battle ready...all without the first clue as to where to find the elusive Akuma.

After the little surprise, Adrien assumed that neither he nor his Lady had slept well, ill at ease and forever waiting for the inevitable alert that would pull them both from their respective beds and into action.

But...it just _never_ came.

Instead, he had laid in bed, tossing anxiously. He waited for a call, watched the news. Apparently, even with the endless stream of Akuma, the sudden appearance of statues around the city weren’t registering as far enough out of the ordinary to cause concern.

At least, not until someone’s precious poodle was snapped up looking at herself in the mirror. That seemed to have been the first that anyone even thought to mention a thing, even on the comment section of the Ladyblog. And even the few who posted there all thought it was some sort of prank.

He’d finally fallen into a fitful sleep around 23:00, although his body was much too used to the early wake up times. He’d grabbed his phone from the nightstand at 5:00, only to see that a few more reports had trickled onto the Ladyblog’s forums overnight.

After a quick browser search, Adrien kicked off the covers and headed straight for the mini-fridge in his room. Moments later, he dropped bit of Camembert into Plagg’s favorite trash can and headed to the bathroom to try to look presentable.

If he hurried, he could get there and back with plenty of time to spare.

* * *

It was quite a while later when Marinette finally woke up. Stubbornly, she stayed tucked away in bed until the last possible minute. At least she’d taken a shower the night before when sleep had been so elusive.

She’d spent far more time on the Ladyblog last night than she’d ever admit to Alya.

Blinking, she and Tikki pored over the blog updates. There were a few more statues that had appeared throughout the city while she had slept.

But nothing that made anyone panic. Her cell phone was primed to buzz loudly, vibrating against her nightstand to wake her -- well, at least wake Tikki -- up. 

It was really weird, but it seemed like no one was really freaking out.

Except her.

“I don’t get it, Tikki.” She mumbled, sliding down from her bed. “Is everyone just too used to the freaking out and running?”

Tikki shrugged, flitting about the room to help her charge get ready for school. “That is possible, Marinette.”

“I mean, I guess it seems like there is no rhyme or reason to where these things are appearing.” Marinette frowned. “And since I’m sure this must be an Akuma, that’s far scarier to me.”

* * *

Tikki smuggled the note she’d prepared for her mother down in the kitchen, before she helped Marinette transform and leap up onto her own balcony. Taking the faster route to school and hiding her backpack inside her locker was far preferable than trying to drag herself half asleep down the street.

Swinging herself back up onto the rooftop of the school, she took the chance to try and call Chat Noir before she headed inside for class.

It was almost too much to hope that she might catch him transformed in these too early hours.

But if she didn’t reach him, she would have to figure out some way to sneak out of class, transform, and get anything identifiable out of the frame before she tried to reach him again.

Ladybug sighed, sliding her thumb against the yo-yo to open the screen and start the call. 

She was a little surprised to see his smiling face already on the other end.

“ _Purr_ fect, my Lady!” He grinned wildly. “I was just hoping I could _cat_ -ch you early this morning.”

Groaning, she let her eyes slam shut. “Ugh. It is much too early in the morning for you to start with the puns.”

He chuckled, “Well, I figured you might _fur_ -give me, since I’ve got a gift for you?”

Blinking, Ladybug halted mid-eye roll. “Wait. What gift?”

Chat Noir’s lip quirked up to the side in a cocky little smirk. “You’ll see soon enough, my Lady.”


	3. Playful/Lucky Charm

“ _Chaton_ ,” Ladybug grumbled, eyeing the very new model of phone he’d placed into her hands. “I’m really not okay with this. We really should have talked about this before you bought them.”

He sighed. “I tried to talk to you about it last night. Several times. When you weren’t transformed and didn’t pick up your on your yo-yo.”

She sighed, opening the screen. “Only one number?”

“And you can call or text.” Chat smirked. “I did buy both phones and the minutes with euros. Although I guess we ought to try to stay as cryptic as possible, just in case someone is paying attention.”

“Kitty…” Ladybug shook her head. “You paid too much for this…”

“For peace of mind and a little extra sleep?” Chat smiled, one gloved hand slipping easily onto her shoulder. “I think that’s worth it.”

Ladybug shifted her weight, settling the hand that held the new phone at her hip. It was going to be hard enough to hide this extra phone from Alya without a whole new set of questions. “What do I owe you?” 

He shrugged. “Just an answer when I text. The cost wasn’t really an issue for me. I’ve...had allowance money in a savings account that was looking for a good use.”

“You didn’t use all your savings, did you?”

Chat burst out laughing. “Was that what you were worried about?” A grin slipped into place with a shameless wink to match. “Not to worry, Bugaboo. I still can afford a nice date with you, anytime you want. In fact, now you can even text me.”

She pushed back his nose, much too tired for him to start in with the flirtatious antics this early in the morning. “Why text when we can talk now?”

Chat’s brows rose, blinking as he backed up to full height.

She sighed...bringing him back to business. “I won’t have much more time before someone will be missing me...Did you notice anything on the news?” 

“There wasn’t a lot of chatter out there…just the one story about the poodle on the Ladyblog.”

“That’s the one with the mirror, right?” Ladybug frowned, meeting her partner’s gaze. “Was the plant near a mirror, too?”

* * *

Chat Noir vaulted easily across the few blocks from the school towards the park. There wasn’t nearly enough time before class at this point, but if they didn’t find out now, there was no way either one of them could focus.

There would be no way that they could try to plan how to deal with this thing.

Ladybug had sped on ahead, entrusting him with both their phones simply because he conveniently had pockets.

When he landed beside her on the balcony, she was already looking at the plant again. A gloved finger was poking at the grey frond. “It isn’t really stone-like,” she murmured, pressing the leaf again as it bent just slightly against the pressure. “But it is pretty rigid."

Chat Noir peered inside. “Sure enough, there’s a mirror that is pointed this way.”

Standing beside him, Ladybug blanched. “If I had my doubts before, this would fix that.” 

“You and I just had just come rushing past when you noticed it, right?”

“Yeah…” Ladybug nibbled her lower lip, deep in thought.

Chat looked away, desperate to stay focused. “So why didn’t it keep attacking?”

She shrugged, her arms crossing over her chest. “And how did it move all over the place without anyone noticing? The reports I keep seeing had the dog frozen in place about three neighborhoods over.”

He shook his head, puzzled. This was really bizarre. But he would be lying if he said he didn’t mind the less frenetic pace of the investigation. It was nice to just be able to linger by her side without the mad, headlong rush into danger.

“So we know it appears near mirrors.” Ladybug paced the small metal floor. “And it sounds like there may be some sort of line of sight to the attack based upon the dog and how we found this plant.”

Chat’s eyes followed her, before peering back at the mirror. “And it has to be an Akuma, doesn’t it? I can’t think of anything outside of magic that might do something like this.”

“Honestly, Chat,” her blue eyes narrowed, “I can only hope you’re right. Then we have at least some idea of what we must be working with…” 

Scowling back towards the mirror, Chat’s claws bit into the brick. He could have sworn he’d seen a weird glimmer in the glass out of the corner of his eye.

Ladybug sighed, her pacing growing more agitated by the second. “We don’t know how it moves. We don’t know what it does…”

His ear twitched, the hairs at the back of his neck standing on end.

Ladybug peered back at him, her nose wrinkling up in that adorable little way it always did when she was a little puzzled. “I don’t even think we could begin to guess what it wants.”

Hissing, he rocked on his heels to pick up momentum, tugging her out of the way and into his arms just as the rail across the street took on a grey cast compared to all the neighboring balconies.

Her eyes were wide as she stared up at him, slightly breathless as she pushed herself out of his hold.

Chat’s grin sharpened, claws slipping down to clasp the balcony door handle.

“Well, my Lady, I think we’re just about to find out.”

She slipped behind the brickwork, crouching low as she summoned her Lucky Charm. 

Her gaze darted everywhere, searching for something that would make the small reflective disc she'd received make a little more sense.

He gripped the handle a little more tightly when her gaze slipped back up to his, wringing her hands around the slim disc. “Anything?” he mouthed.

Ladybug shook her head, nodding towards the door.

Chat sighed, hoping that whatever she would need to take this Akuma down would be in there.

He would definitely be late enough for class as it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of your lovely feedback! <3
> 
> I'm doing what I can here, but I am dealing with health issues that might delay my posting schedule. Please bear with me, even if I need to slip behind the curve.
> 
> I have a plan and I will stick to it. :)


	4. Puns/Clumsiness

Ladybug frowned, gloved fingers clutching the edge of the polka-dotted disc. 

She _hated_ going in blind. Add to that fact that the element of surprise was gone, and that they were up against some sort of Akuma that could literally freeze you into place with a single blast -- possibly even permanently.

They didn’t even know what this thing looked like, so it has plenty of time to attack them both before either one of them might find cover.

Chat Noir threw open the glass door, but neither dared to peer around the corner. There was a fan running inside to combat the early summer heat. 

But otherwise all was eerily silent.

At least until another flash of power slipped through the open doorway.

Chat’s glowing green eyes darted back to hers for a fleeting moment before he was on the move. He scrambled in first, ducking down to the floor behind furniture before the Akuma could have another chance to fire off a clean shot. 

It was entirely reckless, but Ladybug knew she had no choice but to follow.

They both needed to get close enough to understand what they were up against.

Chat Noir had his back against the chaise, crouching down and watching for her cue to slip into action.

Once she was sure she was safe behind the couch, Ladybug’s gaze darted around what little of the apartment she could see, searching for a way to use the Lucky Charm. Maybe there was a computer or a DVD player somewhere around here?

She crawled forward, looking for a better vantage point.

Ladybug peered over the sofa edge for just a moment, before her eyes widened. She fell back behind the couch on instinct.

The surprisingly soft voice of the Akuma murmured. “Stay still, would you?”

Ladybug winced, still trying to get back on her feet without shifting past the safety of the couch. She couldn’t trust that the beam wouldn’t slip between her yo-yo on rotation.

“Don’t you think Paris has enough Ladybug and Chat Noir statues, already?”

Crawling forward again, Ladybug was sure that Chat was in distraction mode. He wouldn’t just be sassing at the target without reason. It had taken a while, but she was pretty sure he started that up when he’d had a little bit of a plan...and a few puns at the ready.

She took advantage of Chat’s distraction to peek around the side to get a better view of their adversary. It was like the Akuma was part of the mirror, but could reach out with her hand from the silvery pool. Her face was also mirrorlike, the flat glass bending outward with the curves of her nose and lips as she pushed forward to speak. Her voice sounded strangely muffled, almost as if she was shouting from behind a closed window.

“Whatever it takes… I _need_ your miraculous.”

Ladybug winced as another clear thrum of power rushed through the air and something landed on the ground with a thunk.

Her fingers bit into the upholstery, uncertain of her partner’s fate.

She wanted to stand, wanted to assure herself that he was okay.

But she knew she couldn’t.

Because the whole of Paris needed her to put this Akuma to rest -- even if they didn’t know it yet.

But how could she use the Lucky Charm against a mirror? She spun the silvered disk idly between her fingers.

“Hmm...” Chat sneered cheekily. "I just can’t _see myself_ doing that.”

Ladybug exhaled sharply at the sound of his voice, but couldn’t afford the moment of relief. 

She heard him lobbing something small -- or was that several small somethings? -- over at the mirror.

The Akuma was moving too fast and it was hard to tell where she’d be next...especially when they couldn’t look for long without running the risk of becoming statues themselves.

It seemed almost impossible that either of them could get much closer without pushing the furniture towards the mirror. But, Ladybug puzzled, it was odd enough that the Akuma hadn’t frozen the furniture as well. 

Beside, there was no telling whether or not a couch would be sturdy enough to handle two blasts in a row.

And if she even moved it an inch there was no telling how this Akuma would react.

Grinning, Ladybug spotted the DVD player, her restless fingers stilling upon the disk as a plan formed. 

Now, if only she could just get Chat Noir’s attention.


	5. Bell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another huge thanks to Enberlight for her help on this one!

Chat grinned as he saw the rattle ball roll from behind the couch that hid his Lady. He tagged his finger against the bell at his collar to pull focus. “Look, _Mirror, Mirror_. I think you might need to _reflect_ on what you've done."

Ladybug’s groan could be heard from behind the couch, but it was almost eclipsed by an equal squawk of dismay from the Akuma. 

He caught a flash of red from the corner of his eye, grinning all that much wider. 

“Ah, ah,” Tutted the Akuma, with a grin of her own to match, her argent arms slipping out of the mirror, rings forced outward like a water droplet bouncing against a pool of water. The ripples ebbed away at the edge of the looking glass. “Didn't your mother ever tell you your face would freeze that way?"

Chat Noir flinched at the dig, never quite able to entirely mask his emotions when it came to his Mother.

But if the Akuma noticed, she spoke not a word, instead gathering a glowing, silvery orb of energy in her hands before she flung it towards him.

His eyes widened as he ducked the blast with a split second to spare.

 _That_ was close. Much too close. 

He snagged another toy from the basket on the other side of the chair, tossing it up into the air to try to draw her fire to it and to keep her focus off his Lady while she went to work.

But nothing came.

Panicked, he started to peer out. Ladybug was still hard at work, trying to figure out how to silently open the media player. The Lucky Charm gleaming in one hand as she jabbed buttons with the other. Her yo-yo was set at her hip, leaving her wide open.

Red was just not the best color for furtive work.

He tossed a few more toys up into the air, before tensely peering around the side.

The Akuma was looking at her hands in confusion.

Ladybug made a noise, as the disc player opened to take the disc.

That snapped the Akuma’s attention to her.

Her hands were glowing. Chat moved without hesitation to protect his Lady.

* * *

Ladybug saw Chat Noir leaping towards her, haloed with an aura of silvery light that could only be the Akuma’s power.

In a mix of fear and adrenaline, she reacted, flinging the only thing she had in hand in defense -- the Lucky Charm -- towards the beam.

She slammed her eyes shut as Chat knocked against her, his arms bearing the brunt of the force as they both were tossed against the media shelf.

Her face was buried against Chat Noir’s shoulder when a resounding crack echoed in her ears.

Blinking, Ladybug pressed her hands on Chat Noir’s shoulders, hugging him a little closer to reassure herself that he was still whole. That he was still there. After all, the last time he had held her like this he had blinked out of existence.

He hissed in pain under the pressure of her fingers.

She breathed a sigh of relief before her eyes darted over to the mirror.

Or at least, where the mirror had been standing. 

The mirror glass was broken, shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces. The Akuma was nowhere to be seen.

They both were wincing as they got up, Chat Noir a little more so than her. 

Ladybug felt a little addled, but that was not even surprising considering the knock her head had just taken, even if Chat had protected her as much as he could.

The suits weren’t foolproof, after all.

Sighing, Ladybug crouched down, picking up a larger fragment of her Lucky Charm from the rest of its shattered pieces on the floor.

That must have been what destroyed the mirror. It meant the Akuma had gotten away, but it had spared them as well. 

It wasn’t ideal by any means.

“I didn’t even know the Lucky Charm could break…” Chat Noir paled, stooping down beside her to pick up the pieces that he could. 

“Neither did I,” Ladybug frowned, standing as she looked for something, anything to gather the bits into. 

She hadn’t ever had a Lucky Charm that had fully failed. She didn’t know whether it would disappear when she de-transformed, or if it might linger on in this apartment until someone found it. And that would potentially be far too dangerous. They couldn’t afford to leave it here.

Eventually, she found a small paper bag in the kitchen that should do the trick, and poured the fragments she’d collected into it.

There hadn’t been time to use it, for any of them to hear what it had contained. Maybe Tikki or Master Fu might be able to help magically repair it, so she could figure out what this one was supposed to do.

Of course, that was when they both heard the first beeps of her earrings.

Chat Noir was frowning, as he picked up a few pieces that had managed to reach all the way to the floor beside the window. “I guess we should also clean up the mirror bits, too.” The toe of his boot was poking against one of the toys -- a tiny teddy bear -- that had been zapped by the Akuma’s beam. “Especially since it looks like there is a little one who will be coming back here soon.”

Ladybug nodded, peering on the floor beside him for the slightest hint of red. “I’ll do what I can before I have to go.”

It’s only then, as she was looming over him, that she noticed another bit of red that shouldn't have been there.

“Chaton!” She blanched as she dropped down to her knees beside him, gloved fingers grazing just above his collar. “Your neck!”

His lips parted, dropping all the fragments into one gloved claw as the other darted up to his neck to cover it. When he pulled his hand away, he could see the thin stream of blood marring his gloves. “Huh. Think you could set off the Lucky Charm?”

“There’s hardly enough to be thrown into the air.” Ladybug bit her lip. “And since I didn’t actually capture the Akuma, there is no telling how effective it might be.”

Chat sighed. “And what you have isn’t likely to hold together well if you did manage to throw it into the air.”

Her earrings were beeping again, insistently.

“Do you think you’ll be okay?” She fretted, scrambling ever faster to pick up the stray bits of the shattered, spotted CD.

A wide smile curved Chat Noir’s lips. “I can finish cleaning all this up and get myself patched. I’ll be up for hunting this Akuma again in a few hours.”

Ladybug smiled back, in spite of the worried pit in her stomach, as she dropped all of the fragments into the paper bag. “I guess at least you can text me to let me know you’re alright.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *whistles innocently*


	6. Spots & Secrets

Chat Noir cleaned up the rest of the broken glass and picking up every piece of Ladybug’s broken charm he could spot, then snagged another bag from the kitchen, and a few napkins to help slow the blood. 

They had been lucky enough that none of the neighbors had come over to check on the noise. But it was late enough in the morning that most workers were away from the house.

Considering all the toys he had available to distract the Akuma, he was glad that the family who lived here must be away on vacation.

Chat grit his teeth, dabbing a fresh napkin against the back of his neck. The blood had darkened, even smelling a bit more stale. That was a good sign, that it was healing up as it should. 

The broken bits hadn’t disappeared yet, and she must have de-transformed by now.

So, he could at least keep them safe until he saw her next. 

Tucking the pieces into the other pocket, Chat scrambled up to the rooftops.

* * *

He snuck into the empty locker room, de-transforming before heading to the nurse’s office. 

He was tempted to stop at the mirrors and get a better look at the scratch, but considering they had no idea where the Akuma had fled...and his own shaky luck, it was far safer not to take his chances.

With any luck, he’d have the room to himself.

Since it was empty for the moment, he tugged his new phone out, typing out a quick message to Ladybug.

> **10:22am** All cleaned up. 
> 
> __Delivered__

“Kid, can I borrow your camera?” Plagg hovered above his shoulder, mulling over the wound. “You should really see this.”

“Is it that deep?” 

“ _That_ is not the problem.” Plagg groused. “Just take a picture of it, since you’re so set on avoiding all the mirrors.”

Adrien’s lips pressed into a thin line as he dug his normal smartphone out of his bag. It took a bit of coaching from his Kwami, but after a few tries, he finally had a picture.

The phone beside his leg buzzed. He rushed to pick it up.

> **< 3: ** how are you feeling? 

Adrien beamed, the corners of his eyes crinkling softly, his thumb brushing over her words on the screen. He wanted nothing more than to put her name there. But it was too risky. What if someone found the phones? Or traced it back to either of them… So he would be as vague as he had to be to keep them both safe.

The soft smile lingered on his lips.

> **10:30am** Better now that I’m hearing from you. 
> 
> **10:31am** I am getting the scratch patched up now. 
> 
> __Delivered__

At least until Plagg gagged, very audibly.

“Alright, Alright. Let’s get this bandage on.”

Adrien grimaced as he leaned his head forward, mulling over the picture of the scratch on his normal cell phone. Thankfully, it wasn’t deep. There was no telling what kind of excuse he could get away with if he would need stitches.

Around the edge of the scrape, his skin was pink and well inflamed…

But it did have the oddest spotted pattern. 

> **< 3: ** You’ll take it easy? 

Adrien frowned, setting the phone down on the table as Plagg helped him slip the bandage into place to best cover the scratch. If it were up to him, he’d be trying to sleep until her next text messages came in. 

But he couldn’t really rest. Not with Nathalie -- and therefore his Father -- watching him like a hawk. Waiting for him to put one foot wrong so they could pull him out of school.

Now that he’d had a taste of freedom -- of friendships -- he just couldn’t imagine going back. Much though he wanted to, he couldn’t spend every waking moment with Ladybug. Plagg still needed to rest and refuel as often as possible.

And that time outside of the mask basically guaranteed that Ladybug would stay away, to preserve their identities. Keeping both themselves and those around them safe had to be the priority. He’d heard it straight from her lips often enough.

Adrien shook his head and let his fingers fly across the keypad.

* * *

Marinette fidgeted in her chair, peering down at the phone in her lap at every free moment that Madame Mendeleiev had her back turned.

She had caught Alya peering over at her more than once. She just couldn’t bring herself to be nearly as careful as she really ought to be. Not while she was so worried about her partner.

She hated to admit it, but Chat Noir’s idea _had_ been helpful, even if it would be a little risky. Although there was no way he could have known just how much when he’d bought them this morning.

> **Trouble:** I’ll rest for a bit until you’re ready to run again. 

Marinette exhaled heavily, forcing out the breath she’d been holding and pocketed the phone. 

She didn’t usually have to worry about her partner once the action had ended. Of course, she nearly always had tied up everything neatly in yo-yo string.

With all the broken glass, they were lucky that neither of them was worse off.

He was being remarkably well behaved. The part of her that Tikki had trained so well wished for a little bit more of this sort of seriousness in their approach to battles.

But that more pragmatic voice -- one that also sounded rather suspiciously like Tikki -- was wondering just what his seriousness meant. Was he really feeling so poorly? 

She could take every awful pun he could ever think up, and though she might groan and roll her eyes, she would far rather that than to see Chat get hurt again.

And he had gotten hurt today because she hadn’t been fast enough. Hadn’t been smart enough to figure out how else to use her Lucky Charm. 

Her own head was a little achy, but between the worry and the lack of sleep, that could only be expected. 

Maybe she could figure out a way to get Master Fu to visit him? If he was resting, surely Chat Noir had to be staying home sick.

She almost didn’t even notice Adrien sneak in, nodding quietly to Madame Mendeleiev before quietly slipping into his seat.

She almost didn’t notice how his fingers pressed against the back of his neck anxiously.

Just about in the exact same spot that Chat had just gotten his own awful scratch. 

She almost missed it all, except for the fact that he sat right in front of her, and she needed to at least pretend to pay attention.

Marinette gasped, her jaw dropping as she couldn’t keep her eyes from the bandage on Adrien’s neck. 

Alya’s own eyes widened, patting her shoulder comfortingly.

But she could only nibble the inside of her lip nervously, her palm slipping down to cover the secret cell phone burning her skin inside her pocket.


	7. Half Reveal/Partners

Adrien slumped down in his seat, sitting on his hands to keep from letting them stray. The scratch was itching like crazy, and it was all he could do to keep his hands from fussing with the bandage.

It wasn’t like he normally had a hard time paying attention in class. But it was more of a trial than usual. 

Biting his lip against a groan of discomfort, he took his pencil in hand, trying to take notes just to distract his focus. At least it was a topic he’d covered before. He could do the reading later and have reasonable enough grades to show for it.

When he’d come in late, Madame Mendeleiev had already assigned him a bit of extra homework to help him catch up.

The teacher had never been fond of his inconsistent schedule, but as long as he kept his grades up, she didn’t complain that much. But it wasn’t worth taking chances.

Adrien set his jaw, desperate to try and stay focused. 

It even worked...for all of about five minutes, before the vibration of a cell phone shook the edge of his schoolbag.

Then, there was no way he could sit still.

It had been almost intolerable, waiting for Madame Mendeleiev to turn her back to the board to draw up more chemical equations.

Adrien reached his hand into his bag, tugging out the cell phone Plagg had handed up to him.

He had a message alright -- just not on the phone he wanted. Nathalie was letting him know that he’d have another shoot this afternoon.

* * *

Marinette pressed her lips into a thin line, right as her friend asked the question she couldn’t force her mouth to get out right. 

“Dude.” Nino gasped, sparing them both the trouble. “What happened to your neck?”

Adrien’s fingers slightly grazed the back of his neck, wincing slight as the tips of his ears reddened. “I may have wiped out on my skateboarding ramp.”

With every hint of a wince and every flinch, Marinette found herself worrying about both boys.

Alya raised a skeptical eyebrow at that. “Doesn’t look like you’re bruised up.”

Adrien chuckled at a little at that. “Well, I was wearing gear at the time. I just managed to scratch it on something when I tumbled onto the floor.” He frowned, looking puzzled. “The bandage doesn’t cover it up.”

“I think most of the class probably noticed.” Alya smirked. “Especially since Marinette was gaping, and had the best seat in the house for it.”

Flustered, Marinette wasn’t quite able to meet his eyes when his gaze shifted to her. She quirked her lips, crossing her arms across her chest. “It’s just...we don’t really ever see you get hurt. I didn’t think your Father would let you do anything that might put your modeling in jeopardy.”

“Oh.” He blinked, which only made his green eyes a little more compelling than usual.

Her fingers drifted down, lingering over her purse, gathering a little courage from her new link to her partner. “You’re sure you’re alright, Adrien?” 

He smiled softly at her. “I’ll be fine.”

* * *

By the time Adrien slumped down into his seat, he was exhausted and the day wasn’t even halfway over. 

Rummaging through the lunch bag of fruit Nathalie had the kitchen staff pack and leave in the back of the car, he pulled out a little bit to snack on while he pull his new phone out of his school bag, noticing the flashing light that hailed a new message.

There was no telling if Ladybug had news, and he didn’t want to stray far from his usual area without knowing if he had to come up with some sort of plausible excuse to back out of the photoshoot.

Popping a few grapes into his mouth, he unlocked the phone.

> **< 3: ** How are you feeling? 

He was about ready to melt into a puddle of goo right there. Not only had his friends been worried about him. But his _Lady_! She was worried about him. She was thinking about him when she wasn’t behind the mask, maybe even as much as he thought of her.

Beaming, he carefully typed back.

> **12:03 pm** I’m happy you’re so worried about me. 
> 
> **12:04 pm** But I’m tougher than I look. 
> 
> __Delivered__

Ladybug was typing for a while, those three dots taunting him as he waited anxiously for her response.

He smirked, knowing she was about to sass him back. 

And he wouldn’t really have it any other way. It was killing him, though, that because he was stuck on a long ride off to this photoshoot, he couldn't just pick up the phone and call her right then. 

* * *

Marinette sat at her desk, half-heartedly nibbling at a bowl of soup that her mother had prepared. Sabine had offered to sit and chat with her during her lunch break, but she assured her mother that her homework was enough to keep her busy.

And she did have some… just not the kind her mother thought.

She was trying to distract herself, tapping her foot on the wheeled base of her desk chair as she scoured through the Ladyblog for any other new updates. 

It was bad enough that Adrien was hurt. But she just kept staring at the back of Adrien’s neck and all she could think about -- and fear for -- was Chat Noir.

At least she could see that Adrien was okay. At least she could watch him anxiously without Alya thinking anything of it.

But she kept thinking that she could have done more...somehow.

She shook her head, trying to keep herself focused on the conversation at hand. They’d been partners long enough for her to be sure that if she was worried, he would start to worry, too. 

Marinette glanced down at the phone, attempting to answer as if it were any other day.

> **12:09 pm** Are you sure about that?
> 
> **12:10 pm** :)
> 
> _Delivered_

Even without the real mask in place, it was easy enough to spar with Chat Noir with banter.

But his long periods of silence only served to make her more anxious.

 **12:22 pm** No luck hearing anything new. I think I’m going to go see our mutual friend, to see what they may have come up with...

_Delivered_

> **Trouble:** _*thumbs up*_
> 
> **Trouble:** I need to get going. I may be away from my phone for a bit, but I’ll check back in when I can.

**12:26 pm** You’re going to rest, right?

__Delivered__

> **Trouble:** As much as I can… 

Marinette bit her lip, tapping her fingernails against the hardwood. 

* * *

Adrien slipped his phone into his pocket as the Gorilla let him out of the car. 

> **12:32 pm** Not always easy to sneak away… 
> 
> __Delivered__

> **< 3: ** Do what you can. 
> 
> **< 3: ** I’ll see you soon. 

He smiled, quickly typing before the make-up artist arrived to prep him for the shoot. 

Helene had helped him out often enough before. She was nearly his own parent's age and had worked with him since he had first started helping his father out. On more than one occasion, she would sneak him a chocolate when she could tell he was having a particularly bad day...and sometimes even when he wasn't. That meant he at least had a hope of talking to her so she wouldn’t slip word back to Nathalie -- or his Father.

> **12:43 pm** Can’t wait. :3 
> 
> __Delivered__

He grinned, locking the phone and leaning down to slip it into his bag.

The loud gasp was evidence alone that he’d timed everything just perfectly to avoid any questions on his now phone.

Not that he’d be able to avoid any other questions...

“ _Mon Dieu_ , Adrien!” Helene breathed, her low calm voice far shakier than normal. “What happened to the back of your neck?”

“Just a bit of an incident in fencing this morning.” He winced, standing up as he plastered the sweet version of his professional smile onto his lips. “I can hope you won’t mention this to Nathalie, right?” 

Helene’s brows furrowed, as her hands hovered just beside his cheeks surveying the damage. “I don’t know, _mon cher_ …”

“Please,” he pouted just the tiniest bit, widening his eyes a bit more. “It’s been so nice finally getting to go to a real school and make friends. If they hear, he’ll have me out so fast that my head will spin.”

She sighed, gesturing for him to follow her over to the makeup chair. “I’ll see what I can do. But we might have to remove that bandage.”

Adrien smiled, a little more widely than necessary. He’d been a bit afraid of that.

But as he sat down in the chair, staring back at the widening green eyes of his own reflection, he realized that his worries were just beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this very late at night, so odds are good I have missed something. I'll give it a once over when I trust my eyes again, but until then, enjoy!
> 
> From here on in, my posting schedule may be less than daily. Lots of IRL responsibilities and a personal need to balance my angst with fluff means I'll probably be updating works in parallel as time permits. However, I do have a fully plotted story. I just need the time and energy to make it happen. :)


	8. Hand Kiss

Gritting his teeth as his makeup artists tugged the bandage off, Adrien ducked his head down. He didn’t dare to look at the mirror just in case. There was no way to know whether or not the Akuma might head this way, but the sheer possibility was making him agitated. But if Helene wasn’t anxious in here, it meant that the news wasn’t reporting on it as a safety hazard yet.

“You are quite lucky, you know.” She chided, blowing a stray lock of hair from her face as she spread a bit of antibiotic to the site. She told him in detail what she was doing as he’d insisted on keeping his eyes closed tight. “I found a bit of special effects plastic I can adhere over the scratch and match to your skin tone with foundation. If the scratch was still bleeding, I’m not sure how well this might hold in place…”

Some of the tension in his shoulders waned in relief. Adrien fought the temptation to quirk his lips, as that would just end in a reprimand and even more makeup on his face. Helene was sweet and so clearly worried about the scratch that he felt bad just wanting desperately to get out of the room.

“You know...you should go out and take a walk in between the sets.” Adrien murmured as she was nearing the end of her application routine. “It’s such a nice day out…”

Helene snickered, wheeling him around in the chair to get a better check of both his face and the scratch cover up under the lighting in the mirror. “That’s adorable that you think my job in here ends once you are out of my chair.”

He winced, smiling a little more broadly in the hopes that he could get her out. Even if she wasn’t just one of the nicest people his father ever employed, she was his best bet for any questions Nathalie and his Father might ask. “But--”

“No buts, Adrien.” She grinned, pressing him over to grab his bags. “You’ll do just fine. Just take care to pull the makeup off your scratch once you get home and get someone to re-bandage it for you.”

He sighed, ducking to pick up his school bag.”

“And Adrien?”

“Hmm?”

“Take care of yourself in fencing, yes?”

* * *

Modelling was harder than ever. He could usually zone out and follow the orders mindlessly. But now, he struggled to stay focused and ignore the itch. 

“No no no.” The Italian photographer chided “You should be thinking about the spaghetti, eh? No one is frowning when they think about their Mama’s spaghetti.” 

Adrien threw the photographer under the bus. “Sorry, _Mama_ is a bit of a touchy subject in my house.”

“Ah, yes.” The man frowned, puzzled. “Then perhaps you could tell me who can still bring a smile to your face.”

Adrien didn’t even have to answer. His eyes strayed to the flash of red piercing the skies beside the park.

The soft smile on his lips betrayed him utterly to the photographer before his mind caught up to what this must all mean.

“Ah, you are charmed by _La Coccinella_ , yes.” The photographer beamed, snapping shots rapid-fire. “ _This_ we can work with.”

Adrien scowled, following her departure with his eyes. “Yes, but if she’s out right now, that must mean an Akuma is out, too.”

“Then we should finish up quick.” 

His jaw clenched as he peered back over to the van that hadn’t moved. “Or maybe we could take a quick break first?”

* * *

He snagged his bag, whispering to Plagg to ensure he had already eaten, before he pulled up the messages from Ladybug. 

Of course, he had, but that didn’t stop him from eating more.

Adrien just sighed, his fingers pulling up the messages from Ladybug.

> **< 3: ** News now breaking on the Akuma. It’s actually gotten a person, so people are starting to take it seriously.

Involuntarily, he scratched at the back of his neck, as he scrolled to the next message.

> **< 3: ** She’s been spotted out on the other side of town. Headed that way now for follow up.

Pocketing the phone and swallowing the heavily lump of fear that welled at the back of his throat, Adrien scrambled back into the makeup van with all haste. Plagg grumbled as he ducked into his shirt pocket. 

Only he was too late. _Much_ too late.

Helene was frozen solid, her face locked in terror as she had turned towards the door, hand outstretched.

She had been calling for help. And he could have done more for her. He should have

She hadn’t deserved all this.

Frustrated with himself, Adrien pounded his fist against the outside of the door.

But he had been so focused on Helene, that he hadn’t noticed the bright silver shimmer still ringing the mirror.

* * *

Ladybug swooped low, snagging an armful of a too-familiar model, just before the Akuma could freeze him into place.

“Ladybug,” he whispered, shock widening his eyes. 

“Hi,” she murmured, warmth hitting her cheeks with the recognition of just who she had rescued.

Ladybug frowned down at the photographer, furiously taking shots of them both. Her lips set into a thin line, swinging them both again towards the relative safety of the middle of the park, far away from any mirror.

She didn't even notice the bright pink flush flashed on Adrien’s cheeks until she carefully set him down on the ground. But she didn’t exactly let go of her hold on him, her fingers still lingering on his arm.

He lips curved into the lopsided smile he sometimes had when someone had slipped him a sweet. “I’d say we’ve got to stop meeting like this, but that was just a little _too_ close.”

Ladybug smiled, a little lost in his eyes. “Really. I was glad to help.”

The soft smile that appeared on Adrien’s face didn’t help her regain that focus, either.

But the scream from across the park did.

She winced, her head swinging back towards the van. “Stay safe, okay. This one seems to like mirrors, so you should stay as far away as you can.”

Adrien grabbed her hand, squeezing a little tighter.

Blinking she looked back, first at him, and then down at her hand in his.

“This one is a little scary.” Adrien whispered, his wheat green eyes startling serious. “Please don’t take this one on. Not without help.”

More than a little breathless, she nodded.

But nothing had captured her attention more than when he pulled her gloved fingers to his lips. “Paris can’t afford to lose you, too.”

Speechless, Ladybug gaped, still a little giddy as she watched Adrien step away from her slowly, only to turn and scramble towards the safety of the opposite end of the park.

Still a bit dazed, she blinked, struggling to get her head together.

She was going to _need_ it.

**Author's Note:**

> While I really and truly love feedback, I am starting to get really slow about responding. Please know that I read and enjoy every single one...although I tend to save responses for those days when the muse eludes me.
> 
> I'm going to try to do this all on time, but certain real life (TM) responsibilities may delay me a little bit.
> 
> Looking for more updates? Find me on [Tumblr](http://overworkedunderwhelmed.tumblr.com/).


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